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How do I import my data?
 
Step One: Export Your Data
PhoneTree® can read data from a generic text file. Most of the hundreds of database programs can produce an ASCII (.dat or .txt), Comma Delimited (.txt), CSV or a PBase (.mdb) file type, therefore you will be able to import the data into a list that your PhoneTree® can use. Different applications will have different ways of saving data into one of these formats. Look for an Export or Save As command in the file menu. Read the documentation that came with your database application for instructions. For simplicity, save the exported data in the Client folder of your PhoneTree®. For example, use this directory: Program Files -> PhoneTreeMVPu -> User -> MVP1 -> 001 -> Client.



Step Two: Check Your Data
Using WordPad or NotePad, locate and open the exported text file. Your data should look similar to the picture above, although there may be other fields present as well as the last name, first name and phone number. If you see unknown characters or if all the data pertaining to a single person does not appear on a line by itself, go back to your database application and try to export your data again.



Step Three: Open Your Data
From the PhoneTree® software, go to the Edit screen of your PhoneTree® and choose ASCII (or the appropriate method) from the Import menu. You will then need to navigate to your file with the Open Import dialog box (shown above). When you've located the file, click Open.



Step Four: Translate Your Data
If you had another list open, you will first be prompted to either a) Overwrite your existing file, b) Append to existing file, or c) Create a new file (see above).



Once you've made the appropriate choice and opened your file, a Translation pop-up screen will appear (see above). Three columns in the Translation pop-up screen have headers: First Name, Last Name and Phone. Within each of the columns select and highlight the correct information to match the column header (highlight the first name in the First Name column, for example). Then select how the names are constructed--for instance, if you saw back in Step Two that your names appear in your exported data file with the last name first (as in the example above in Step Two), click Last, First, etc.

If any of the information contained in the three columns is merged (on the same line as another column item), then PhoneTree® will not be able to read the data correctly--go back to your program where you originally created the export file and try again to create another ASCII, Comma Delimited, or CSV file type.

If all the information looks good and you've chosen the items that correspond to the captions on the boxes, then click OK. You will then see a small progress bar and then a box that says "Import Complete!" Click OK. You should then click the Save button on the button bar and save this file under a new name, then you will be ready to make calls if desired.